University of Milan
About Milan, Guide and Top Tourist Attractions
(Milan, Italy)
Milan is located in Lombardy in northern Italy. It is the country's largest city by population at 1.4 million. Milan is one of the most stylish cities in Italy, earning its name as the so-called fashion capital of the world. It has always been known all over the world for its excellence in fashion and design.
What to do in Milan
Milan is a shopping paradise where visitors can shop for clothes, shoes, antiques, and home accessories. It is also known for its artisanship. In fact, you can visit Piazza Santa Spirito and other narrow streets in Oltrarno to see real artisans at work. The shops in Milan are generally open from 9 am. to 1 pm and 3:30 pm to 8 pm. Most large shops are open the whole day, however.
The city offers many exciting places to drink and sample good Italian food like the city's most popular pasta dish made with rich Italian cheese, fresh tomatoes, and olive oil. It is the perfect place for individual meals, romantic dinners, and family get-togethers.
Milan has small, large, public and private parks where visitors can spend the day to appreciate the city's natural beauty. Despite its busy city atmosphere, Milan has so much greenery to show off.
Visitors can experience and appreciate Milan's artistry by touring its galleries and museums displaying the unique art collections of works done by local and world-renowned Milanese artists in the classical and modern era. Some of the noted galleries in Milan are the Pinacoteca di Brera (Brera Art Gallery) in the northeastern part of Milan, and Villa Reale and Civica Galleria d'Arte Moderna in Via Palestro.
Tourist Attractions
Milan has many breathtaking tourist attractions like the Teatro alla Scala in Santa Maria della Scala, which is a large opera house made up of an old church, a theatre museum, and the La Scala's Ballet School. The traditional opera season starts on December 7 when the feast day of the patron saint of Milan, Sant'Ambrogio, is celebrated.
Located in Piazza della Scala, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele is a large and elegant arcade where a variety of bookstores, shops, cafés and restaurants are found. It features a 115-foot high glass dome standing above the central octagonal area of the gallery. The Palazzo Marino, serving as the city's town hall since 1860, can also be found along Piazza della Scala. It is the birthplace of the famous Monza nun named Marianna de Leyva.
Visitors going to central Milan should take a tour of the Palazzo Borromeo, a great 15th-century palace that was bombed in 1943. Much of the palace has been restored and rebuilt and it now holds courtyards, frescoes, and popular paintings.
The Meazza or San Siro Stadium, located in Piccolomini, is named after the famous football player Giuseppe Meazza, who played for various Milan teams. Considered as the biggest stadium in Italy, the Meazza Stadium has a seating capacity of 85,000.
Tourists should never leave the city without visiting the Palazzo Reale in Piazza del Duomo in central Milan. It was the seat of the commune administration in the 11th century. Rebuilt in the 1330s, the palace became the headquarters of Milan's lords. It served as Milan's first permanent theatre in 1598 and was where Mozart played as a child. The palace now operates as an office building and museum containing futuristic art collections. It is open Sunday to Wednesday.
